by Glenn | Sep 28, 2026 | Best practice, Book, business case, Combined Authorities, Competency, CPD, Economic Development Practice, General, Organisation, Organisational development, Performance, Policy, Politics, Professional development, Restructuring
As Andy Burnham prepares to address his first Labour Party Conference as Prime Minister, a new book by economic development practitioner Dr Glenn Athey argues that the argument over whether to devolve power is over. The question now is whether the institutions...
by Glenn | Sep 3, 2026 | Best practice, Book, Combined Authorities, Competency, CPD, Devolution, Economic Development Practice, General, Organisation, Organisational development, Performance, Policy, Politics, Professional development, Restructuring
Paperback Edition of The Local and Regional Economic Development September Sale! £31.99 UK + P&P I’ve sourced another high quality print on demand service at bookvault which allows me to give email subscribers discount coupon codes! Head over to...
by Glenn | May 6, 2026 | Best practice, Book, Competency, CPD, General
Not because they weren’t smart. Not because they didn’t work hard. But because nobody had ever explained to them what economic development actually is. What is the mission? What is the function? What are the dilemmas you’ll face when public purpose...
by Glenn | May 6, 2026 | Best practice, Book, Competency, CPD, General
I sat in meetings early in my career where decisions were being made and I didn’t know the local backstory. Who had tried what before? Why certain approaches had been abandoned? What are the political sensitivities? What the community actually needed versus what...
by Glenn | May 6, 2026 | Best practice, Book, Competency, CPD, General
𝘔𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝟣𝟫𝟫𝟢𝘴 I thought I was reasonably well prepared. I had read the research, understood the theories, sat in plenty of meetings with practitioners. What I wasn’t prepared for was the reality...
by Glenn | Feb 13, 2026 | funding, General, Policy, Politics
Political pronouncements don’t shift markets unless they are backed by tangible co-investment, legislation, incentives, changes to tax codes and/or demand stimulus This is the first article in a regular weekly series, where I reflect on a common issue that I see...